The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1887-01-29
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
[FrOm our Regular Correspondent,

Washington, ID. c., Jan %, 1887.
Congress began the week with some sweep
ing pension legislation. Its attention was
then turned to matters of local interest. APP
preparation bills, miscellaneous business, and
the discussion of the bill for establishing
Agricultural Experiment Stations. 1t became
stirred for day over the question of investi-
eating the management of the Pacific Rail-
roads; and the House finally settled down to
deliberate over the Interstate Commerce bill,
which the Senate passed last week. When
tho President sent Il special message to Con
gress asking That suitable action be taken for
celebrating the Centennial of the adoption of
the Constitution of the United States, he was
careful not to commit himself to any special
time or locality. He chopped that i'll a spirit
of patriotic cooperation, rather than of local
competition, Congress would proceed, etc"
But the committee of seven Senators, who
had the audacity to declare that Washington
was the suitable place for holding this cee-
bratlon, have come in for large share of
criticism from rival cities Washington is the
only city where every American is at home,
and in which he feels the pride of an American
citizens ownership, ard the Exposition will
| be given to Washington without doubt. 1t
will last from '89 to 92. There need not be a
continuous rush, racket and carnival fer three
years. as there would be over public affair
| this kind i'll a great commercial mart. Wash
| ington is not that kind of city. 1t cutivates
| tranquility of department, and has sufficient
breathing space TO enjoy everything in quiet
way. 1t is used to crowds and gatherings OF
all k hds, indeed it ought to be. for six
| National conventions are being held here
during the present week. Some members OF
Congress have said that the principal object
of the Government in the Pacific Railroad
matter, was to get what was owing to it. OF
course it is desirable to sage 5000 0J0, 900, OF
as much of it as can be recovered, from those
who have no right to il, but number of men
in both branches of Congress feel that the
main thing to be attained is the moral effect
of rebuking corruption. The Government
can afford to lose the money! but it cannot
afford to agree to IL theft il such there has
been. The desire to investigate the manage
ment OF the Pacific Railroads is not, therefore
born OF a spirit of persecution; it is simply the
duty of Congress to go to the bottom Of this
matter.
Although the Senate voted to pension the
widow OF Senator Logan at 81, 900 u year, the
bill has come to grief in the House Committee
on pensions. 1t is claimed that to pension
Mrs. Logan would cost the Government event
ualiy half million by encouraging every
widow whose husband had ever been in the
army. But it appears that the fund provided
for Mrs. Logan by the friends and admirers
of her husband has now reached S70,OO0, wi6t
q prospect of rising to 100000, and this vii
0byiate all necessity OF straining pension pre-
ccdents SO as to provided for her by act o.
Congress. The citizens OF Chicago have alsC
contributed Sl3,O0U for the payment III en-
cumbrances upon the home of Mrs. Logan il
this city. The notes have all been pal of
in the past few days, and Mrs. Logan now
owns the house known as Calumet flaee il
her own right. The bill passed by the Hous,
pensioning dependent soldiers aud sailors, who
were not disabled in the service, but who arr
now too old and too feeble to work, and alst
pensiOning the dependent parents Of soldiers
and sailors, has frightened those who are op
posed to pensioning everybody who ever hnc
anything to do with a war. They fear Con
gress will next undertake to pension lifelong
non-comba ants who have incurred physica
or mental disability in iting war articles
fol the papers and magazines. The ubOv,
mentioned bill applied to veterans of any ar
Seminole, Black Hawk Mexican, war of thu
Reball0n-and gives uniform allowance o
SIP month from the time of the passage o
? the bill. Then there is proposition to pen
sion Walt Whitman, which, it is claimed
would open the Treasury doors to an army o
$4,000 new pensioners, claiming that thel
nursed some soldier somewhere during tht
late war. They say If Walt Whitman ough
to have S25 nenth, Clara Barton ought tt
have 81 900 year. Washington society il
inter sely curious to soc the briGe o. the Cabi
net, Mrs. Lamar, ami its curiosity has in
creased with her evid- Mt desire to postpon
her public or even private appearance
Several of the ladies y the Cabinet hav,
called to see Mrs. Lama. bnt she has thus Ia
refused herself to everyone She is said to b.
typical Southern woman, who has Away
lived quietly, and when she realizes tina
hundreds OF pens are waiting to para grapl
her, it is not surprising that she shrinks from
the public gaze. The wives of the other Cab
net officers tell the Secretary of the Interio
now that they believe his bride is IA myth.